Maria by Callas

Maria by Callas

Duration:

113m

Rating:

PG

About the Film:

Ends Thursday, December 13.

An intimate look at the life and work of Greek-American opera singer, Maria Callas, as told in her own words.

Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs—nearly all of which have never been shown to the public—the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.

Assembling the material for the film took director Volf four years of painstaking research, which included personal outreach to dozens of Callas's closest friends and associates, who allowed him to share their personal memorabilia in the film. When recordings of Callas's voice aren't available, Joyce DiDonato, one of contemporary opera's biggest stars, reads her words.

Callas believed that two different women lived in her: Maria, the woman who longed for a normal life; and Callas, the public figure and icon, from which an adoring public expected a transcendent experience every time she stepped onstage, and which could quickly become outraged when they felt she had given them anything less. Through Volf's intimate portrait of Callas, we see that some commonly held beliefs about Callas, notably her reputation as a "tempestuous" diva, have no basis in fact. MARIA BY CALLAS revisits many of the most notable controversies of Callas's life, from the "Rome Cancellation" to her conflict with the Metropolitan Opera's Rudolf Bing, and demonstrates that, while Callas was a demanding perfectionist, she was neither capricious nor someone who made trouble for its own sake. The film also sheds new light on Callas's relationship with Aristotle Onassis, the supreme love of her life.

The Little Theatre is the premier cultural center for the presentation of American independent and foreign films, visual arts and music for the greater Rochester community. Through educational events, the Little Theatre provides local artists a place to share and discuss their visions with a diverse audience.

WXXI Public Broadcasting and the Little Theatre are engaged in a formal, long-term affiliation. This combined organization promises to enhance the cultural life of the community and strengthens both institutions by pooling resources and experience in key mission areas. WXXI is the essential, life-long educational public media resource for the Greater Rochester area.